IPL Mega Auction 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders look to build on 2021 run with David Warner, Shreyas Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal
Having underperformed for years, the Knights go into the auction looking to build a strong squad that can bring the trophy back to Kolkata for a third time.
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2022 Team List: The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) sprung a surprise last season by reaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) final. Despite losing to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the fact that the Shah Rukh Khan-owned side managed to achieve the feat after severely underperforming during the first leg of the tournament was a testament to the franchise’s fighting spirit under Brendan McCullum.
Having underperformed for years, the Knights go into the auction looking to build a strong squad that can bring the trophy back to Kolkata for a third time. The two-time champions have retained West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore) and Sunil Narine (Rs 6 crore), alongside mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 8 crore) and last year’s surprise package Venkatesh Iyer (Rs 8 crore).
The purple-and-gold will enter the IPL auction with a Rs 48-crore purse.
Here are some additions that the Kolkata Knight Riders could look at during the IPL 2022 auction:
David Warner (Base price: Rs 2 crore)
A daunting top-order batter, Warner is also a capable captain. After the Knights released Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik, Warner could step into his shoes and take up a leadership role in which he excelled as he guided Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to their sole IPL title in 2016.
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Shreyas Iyer (Base price: Rs 2 crore)
Another player being monitored by almost every franchise as a possible captain, Iyer fits the Knights mould as a player who can form the team’s core for years. His exploits with the bat apart, Iyer is a capable leader after captaining the Delhi Capitals to the final in 2020.
Lockie Ferguson (Base price: Rs 2 crore)
While injuries and the emergence of Pat Cummins limited Lockie Ferguson to a handful of matches for the Knights over the past two seasons, he performed whenever he was given the opportunity to swing his arms. With the franchise releasing Cummins and no front-line bowler to build the pace attack around, the Kiwi could be an ideal fit for the Knight Riders.
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Devdutt Padikkal (Base price: Rs 2 crore)
The southpaw’s release from the Royal Challengers Bangalore was as much shocking as the Knights’ release of Shubman Gill, who has since joined the Gujarat Titans. While not a like-for-like replacement, the Knights could do worse than go for Padikkal, who excelled last season for Virat Kohli’s side with his attacking prowess drawing praise from West Indies legend Brian Lara, Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara, and former India coach Ravi Shastri.
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Shaik Rasheed
Rasheed recently tasted success as vice-captain of India’s triumphant U19 World Cup team, and was in fine form with the bat throughout the tournament. The Knights have struggled over the past few years for stability in the middle-order and Rasheed could be the answer for years to come.
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